Maine Republicans adopt platform banning sex ed, transgender identity and critical race theory

Apr. 29—The Maine Republican Party kicked off its convention on Friday by amending the party platform to call for a ban on sexually based material, transgender identity and "critical race theory" in schools.

The 1,800 delegates gathered in the Augusta Civic Center for the two-day event, however, loudly rejected an effort to remove the party's one woman-one man definition of marriage.

While demands for federal term limits and voter identification were also added to the platform, it was the belief that the nation's cultural wars are seeping into public school classrooms that fueled the majority of the six changes that delegates made to the state party platform on Friday.

Elizabeth Caruso of Caratunk, who is seeking the party nomination in Maine's 2nd Congressional District, urged delegates to join the wave of angry Republican parents who are storming school boards and voting booths across the nation in protest.

"We can't trap our children in classrooms and force radical ideology on them," Caruso said. "The attack on our children's physical, emotional, mental and scholastic development must end. It's abuse. Republican lawmakers must fight this battle and win."

LePage has arrived at the Maine GOP convention.

The party spent 90 minutes amending it's platform, which took hard right turns against critical race theory, LGBTQ rights and teaching sex education in public K-12 schools. pic.twitter.com/uie98aXox3

— Randy Billings (@randybillings) April 29, 2022

The original motion called for a prohibition of public school curriculum that promotes medical or surgical gender transition, likened classroom teaching of non-binary genders to child abuse, and sought the prohibition of sexually based material of any kind prior to fourth grade.

But delegates voted from the floor to expand the prohibition of sexually-based material through 12th grade, a move that some warned would ban the teaching of high school biology, not just sex education, and possibly expose the party to public ridicule.

They also voted to add a new section of the platform that supports a statewide code of ethics for K-12 public school teachers that bans racial profiling, racial stereotyping and racial scapegoating, or what amendment author Shawn McBreairty dubbed critical race theory.

McBreairty, an avid opponent of "wokeism," led a protest in Cumberland when that school district in 2020 denounced white supremacy in the wake of George Floyd's murder by police. The school didn't consider that critical race theory, but McBreairty loudly disagreed.

Delegates also added new language requiring voters to prove they are a legal U.S. citizen when they register to vote and have state-issued photo identification, with proof of residency in the voting district, when they register or cast a vote. They also want to go back to a paper-based voting system.

The only platform amendment that failed was the removal of the one-man, one-woman marriage clause of the amendment, largely because of religious objections.

"We receive our rights in the constitution from God," said Alicia Collins of Sidney. "We are conservative because we believe in our Christian values. If we take the definition out, then I believe we are dishonoring God."

Delegates who wanted to strip the marriage definition said most Republicans no longer oppose gay marriage, and reminded people that it was the law of the land. Some went so far as to say that such a welcoming attitude is in keeping with the party's Christian values.

"Republicans are great defenders of freedom and personal liberty, so let's stop encouraging divisive language in the platform that no longer reflects the actual law or majority opinion of our own party," said Dean Martin of Hallowell.

Ex-Cumberland County District Attorney Stephanie Anderson — who lost her 2020 race against Anne Carney of Cape Elizabeth for State Senate — called the marriage plank a strategic mistake and said it is costing the party members, and maybe even elections.

"Every person in this room knows or loves somebody who is gay," Anderson said. "For us to deny them an opportunity to form a lasting bond is, I believe, an error. This party needs to expand. We talk about being a large tent for personal freedom and that is what we should be."

This story will be updated.